NATIONAL SILENT RECORD WEEK
National Silent Record Week during the first week in January invites Americans to play a silent record. If no silent record can be found, it’s an opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet.
In case you didn’t know, silent recordings are a real thing. John Lennon released two silent recordings. One of them was called “Two Minutes of Silence.” He recorded it on the album, Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions in 1969. The second silent recording was called “Nutopian National Anthem.” It appeared on the album Mind Games in 1973.
“It’s very important in life to know when to shut up. You should not be afraid of silence.” Alex Trebek
In 1980, Stiff Records in the UK released a silent record called The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Regan. Through the years other artists placed silent tracks on their records. One of them became a top 20 hit in the UK. In 2010, The Royal British Legion produced “2 Minute Silence” to commemorated Remembrance Day.
HOW TO OBSERVE #SilentRecordWeek
One of the best ways to observe the week is to play a silent record or a silent track on a record. If you don’t own any, take some opportunities throughout the week to enjoy some peace and quiet. Participate in quiet activities like:
- Read a book
- Put together a puzzle
- Take a walk through the park by yourself
- Take a nap
- Meditate
- Write a letter
- Catch up on scrapbooking
- Look through old photographs
- Drive in silence – no radio or music playing
No matter how you choose to participate, be sure to share #SilentRecordWeek on social media.
NATIONAL SILENT RECORD WEEK HISTORY
Silent Record Week has its roots at the University of Detroit. In 1959, someone had placed some silent records into the jukeboxes around campus. This allowed people to buy silence. However, as the records developed noisy scratches, and prompted replacement. However, their popularity among students at the university inspired them to form a record label to produce silent records. In 1960, Silent Record Week was established. To celebrate the week, the University of Detroit’s 65-member chorus appeared at a concert in which they didn’t sing.